May intervenes to speed up new UK immigration plan

LONDON — The U.K. government has brought forward plans to publish its post-Brexit immigration policy after Theresa May intervened to speed up the process, according to senior British officials.

A government white paper setting out the proposed new immigration rules, ending freedom of movement for EU citizens in the U.K., has now been pencilled in for publication before parliament goes into recess for its summer break in July, although this could still slip, two senior officials said.

Under former Home Secretary Amber Rudd, the Home Office had repeatedly delayed publication of the new immigration proposals, sparking alarm among Brexiteer ministers who want the government to step up planning for a “no-deal” scenario in negotiations with Brussels.

The publication of the plans will be a “massive moment” for the government, according to one of the officials, speaking on condition of anonymity. The proposals could emerge at a highly sensitive moment in the Brexit negotiations, just months before the October deadline for the final exit package to be agreed.

The issue is contentious and, for millions of people, personal. Whatever course the government embraces, it will surely alienate one or more key constituencies.

A path favored by many Brexiteers is to treat EU citizens no differently than any other nationals.

Several options have been raised. During the EU referendum campaign, Brexiteers called for an “Australian points-based system” to replace EU rules that ensure freedom of movement across borders. However, the prime minister rejected the proposal not long after moving into No. 10. The points-based system does not set a limit or target for reducing immigration, but is instead based on a country’s economic need.

Another option floated by some in Westminster is to create a European visa area offering EU citizens preferential access to the U.K. To its critics this would amount to “freedom of movement in all but name,” even if the U.K. government retained some powers to limit access, using a so-called emergency brake. Many senior MPs believe such an offer could be the key to unlocking a preferential trade deal with Brussels while still retaining sovereign control over immigration.

A path favored by many Brexiteers is to treat EU citizens no differently than any other nationals, granting access to the U.K. under a single international visa regime.

Any perceived crackdown on EU citizens’ rights to move to Britain for work could undermine any goodwill built up between the two sides in the last year of talks on a divorce settlement.

“It’s not an official negotiating topic, no, and no one expects it to become one. But no one seriously doubts it’s not still an issue” — Diplomat

Home Office officials had previously said the white paper — a policy document setting out the government’s proposals for future legislation — would not be published until the fall and possibly as late as the New Year.

However, amid mounting tension in Cabinet, the prime minister stepped in to order the Home Office to speed up publication, the two officials said.

Rudd had agreed to the new speeded-up timetable before her resignation, a senior government aide said.

A second official confirmed the prime minister has made clear to Rudd’s successor as home secretary, Sajid Javid, that one of his priorities should be to get the new system in place. “The prime minister wants to see this brought forward,” the official said.

A spokesperson for the Home Office said: “There has been an agreement to bring forward a white paper and that is what we intend to do.”

One EU27 diplomat said that while officials in Brussels had accepted freedom of movement would no longer apply in the U.K., the new system would still have an impact on talks between London and Brussels.

“It’s not an official negotiating topic, no, and no one expects it to become one,” the diplomat said. “But no one seriously doubts it’s not still an issue.”

By publishing the immigration plan so early, the government risks accusations of jumping the gun on discussions over Britain’s future trading relationship with the EU.

One non-EU ambassador from a major advanced economy, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the trade deal would boil down to a trade-off between freedom of movement and access to the European single market for Britain’s giant financial services sector.

The new timetable also means the paper will be published before the long-awaited Migration Advisory Committee’s report into the economics of immigration, which Home Office officials had until recently said would inform the government’s policy.

The committee has been asked to report by September 2018.

In February, the home affairs committee in the House of Commons said there was still “considerable uncertainty about when the white paper will be published.” It said the delay had caused “anxiety for EU citizens in the U.K., uncertainty for U.K. businesses and concern in parliament.”

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Priscilla du Bleu

New immigration rules ….. who needs that? EU nationals will refrain from coming, who needs a plunging currency anyway, plus xenophobia, racism and limited contracts for 2 years ….

Best to concentrate on indians 😀

Posted on 5/13/18 | 11:17 AM CEST

François P

“One non-EU ambassador from a major advanced economy, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the trade deal would boil down to a trade-off between freedom of movement and access to the European single market for Britain’s giant financial services sector.”

Muddled thinking in my opinion.

Either the UK wants to remain a member of the EU single market, like Norway for example. In that case, freedom of movement would apply in full. No ifs and buts. There is nothing to negotiate.

But we know that the UK doesn’t want to stay in the EU single market. What the UK can get then is a preferential trade agreement, like Canada for example. With regard to export of services to the EU, host country rules will apply. Again, there isn’t much to negotiate in this regard. These trade agreements don’t delve much into immigration rules (except for short-term business stays). It simply isn’t a topic for negotiations. The UK will thus be free to define its immigration policy with regard to EU citizens without negotiations with the EU or with individual EU countries. And vice-versa of course: each individual EU country will be free to define its own immigration rules for UK citizens, without negotiations with the UK.

Posted on 5/13/18 | 11:32 AM CEST

Priscilla du Bleu

@FrancoisP
““One non-EU ambassador from a major advanced economy, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the trade deal would boil down to a trade-off between freedom of movement and access to the European single market for Britain’s giant financial services sector.””

Of course it will all boil down to FoM trade deal of whatever kind for whatever country, like India, will be willing to sign one, but access to EU financial services for the UK? If at all, then only to some limited extent. After all, it’s ‘perfidious albion’ one is dealing with, and cutting down their access later will be problematic.

Posted on 5/13/18 | 11:48 AM CEST

Anthony Chambers

I would be happy with a general immigration system for all countries and a non-immigrant system for any country with an FTA.

The new non-immigrant component would mean that social security contributions would stay with their originating country. Any healthcare would be organised based on cooperation agreements (like the ones with NZ and AUS). Students can also be included in this section. That would be done as a component of the FTA.

The immigrant component would be broadly the same as now.

That’s how I would do it. Hopefully they don’t publish something stupid that would not work properly.

Posted on 5/13/18 | 12:09 PM CEST

Steuersklav Erei

@ Francois P

I agree completely. But I would expect the UK unilaterally to guarantee EU/EEA freedom of movement to the UK for some time beyond March 2019 (even if there is no Brexit withdrawal deal). UK businesses need more time to shift from their labour-intensive employment model and the UK Home Office is generally very bad at managing new immigration rules.

Posted on 5/13/18 | 5:13 PM CEST

EU doublestandards

@Priscilla du Bleu
“EU nationals will refrain from coming”.

Bye, bye Cilla. Don’t let the door smack your condescending ass on the way out. Oh and whilst you’re at it, you may as well leave your UK passport behind. I mean – not much point in you retaining your dual citizenship, right? Just keep your other passport.

And stay there.

Posted on 5/13/18 | 9:57 PM CEST

Anthony Chambers

Given that this policy will now be decided by the UK parliament and the core objection was always a combination of wage dumping and receipt of benefits that most brits view as being for permanent residents, I can easily see FTA non-immigrant access on the basis of no access to public services or the welfare state as being perfectly acceptable. This would exclude about 5% of EU immigration, as most immigrants contribute positively to the UK society and economy.

Perhaps the EU would also welcome such an approach?

Posted on 5/14/18 | 12:11 AM CEST

xyc .

Anthony Chambers Re “Perhaps the EU would also welcome such an approach?”

Why the EU? 27 countries will decide how they wish to deal with UK migrants. Does the EU tell the UK today how to deal with non EU migrants?

Posted on 5/14/18 | 12:59 AM CEST

-> tpk

It’s many years until this will be needed. Why the sudden hurry? If this source is right May probably needs it as a substitute for FoM for a soft Brexit?

Posted on 5/14/18 | 8:21 AM CEST

Anthony Chambers

@tpk: That is exactly what T. May has been trying to do. What is surprising is that you are surprised. The conservative Brexiteers (as opposed to some in UKIP) were never particularly against immigration from the EU. They are against ECJ overreach and a political union including the UK.

We will see. If the EU is not interested, then the agreement we be pretty basic.

Posted on 5/14/18 | 9:39 AM CEST

Steuersklav Erei

@ tpk

Conservatives tend to be fine with immigration (because lots of cheap workers preserves the right kind of capitalism in their eyes). But Conservatives are very hostile to the judicial activism of the ECJ and the undermined nation-state sovereignty inherent in EU/EEA membership.

Labour, by contrast, don’t mind pooling sovereignty and having an activist legal system (like EU law). But traditionally Labour are against the sort of high immigration which depresses workers’ conditions (which has been the case in the UK since 2004).

So it’s no surprise that the Tories have ruled out any sort of customs union, whereas Labour have ruled out the EEA. The Tories have ruled out the EEA, too, but at least as much for reasons of sovereignty/judicial activism as for migration reasons.

Posted on 5/14/18 | 10:08 AM CEST

-> tpk

@Steuersklave and Anthony

Right.

“But Labour remains opposed [to EEA] , while vowing to negotiate a “strong single market relationship that hard wires the benefits”, without explaining how that will be possible outside the trading bloc” from Indi.

It’s their term now to become more real. Seems like Brexit would have been decided to become EEA already if Corbyn was a bit more Blair like. So it stays exciting.

Posted on 5/14/18 | 11:28 AM CEST

Steuersklav Erei

@ tpk

Corbyn’s a Brexiteer but most of his Party is anti-Brexit. May’s a Remainer but most of her Party is pro-Brexit.

Thus Corbyn’s playing a tactical game of not showing his real (Brexiteer) cards until the last possible moment. If it were down to him, and his ‘Altlinker’ comrades, the UK would have exited the old EEC as long ago as 1975 (when they were on the losing side of that referendum).

Posted on 5/14/18 | 3:45 PM CEST

Anthony Chambers

@tpk: Corbyn is no fan of the EU. He has explicitly stated that any future relationship with the EU must not include controls of state nationalisation or state aid. Also, he has ruled out freedom of movement in his offer to the EU. I think their offer to the EU would be way more unacceptable than the conservatives. Basically T. May is the EU’s best bet in terms of getting what they want. The next conservative leader would be a Brexiteer. I think there is virtually zero chance of a labour government before Brexit. There is only 5 months before the October deadline to wrap everything up. It would take at least 1 month for everything to blow up and then 2 months for a new election.

Posted on 5/14/18 | 4:39 PM CEST

Stiv Ocssor

Another option floated by some in Westminster is to create a European visa area offering EU citizens preferential access to the U.K. To its critics this would amount to “freedom of movement in all but name,” even if the U.K. government retained some powers to limit access, using a so-called emergency brake. Many senior MPs believe such an offer could be the key to unlocking a preferential trade deal with Brussels while still retaining sovereign control over immigration.

Political suicide if this is true. Like it or lump it control of our borders and a genuine end to FOM was one of key reasons people voted leave.

Posted on 5/16/18 | 1:57 AM CEST

Eric Buckvar

But EU nationals actually will refrain from coming, if you look at the statistics. There is near full employment and shrinking cohorts of young adults in Eastern Europe. The reason for the influx of 2004 was an Eastern European demographic bulge and the UK’s willingness to abandon work restrictions, while the other large EU countries kept there’s. Now, large EU countries (other than the UK) are welcoming Eastern European young workers. Furthermore, no there are no large countries that will be admitted to the EU for a very, very long time (certainly not until they’ve gone through a complete demographic transition). You Brexiteers are closing the barn door after the horse bolted – and, to add another metaphor, you are throwing out the baby with the bath water.

Posted on 5/16/18 | 2:35 AM CEST

Priscilla du Bleu

@Stiv Ocssor
“Political suicide if this is true. Like it or lump it control of our borders and a genuine end to FOM was one of key reasons people voted leave.”

LOL. Look, the brekkies are finally waking up on being sold down the river by the maybutt and her mötley crüe of inepts ….

Priceless, again. We told you so right from the start. Other than that, of course it is political suicide – because the whole brexit is suicidal in toto.

Posted on 5/17/18 | 8:00 AM CEST

Priscilla du Bleu

Bye, bye Cilla. Don’t let the door smack your condescending ass on the way out. Oh and whilst you’re at it, you may as well leave your UK passport behind. I mean – not much point in you retaining your dual citizenship, right? Just keep your other passport.

And stay there.”

LOL, Brekkie dreaming …… i was born in London, and why the heck should i give up 50% of the privileges i was born into by giving up one of my 2 passports and all the amenities (also fiscal privileges) attached to it? Would be like telling the guys from the lottery: ‘Thank you, sirs, for the 10 million i won. I only want 5 million, though, you can keep the rest.’

And i have a surprise for you: no matter how much you want us bi-nationals leave ….. we simply don’t care. We enjoy twice your privileges / cherrycakes and will never give those up.